The Vale of Tears (3L Job Hunting) (No advice for 0/1/2Ls) Forum

[spleenworship]

Finally out of the vale sorta, with a fellowship that may lead to something permanent. Now I can focus on failing the bar next week. Priorities.

Congrats! I'll be pulling for you to get the permanent gig.

[Anonymous User]

Hey guys. I haven't posted here much, but I have been reading this thread and following the advice for over a year. After countless applications, rejections, and silence I have received an offer. Keep hustling and something will come through.

[Tanicius]

Hey guys. I haven't posted here much, but I have been reading this thread and following the advice for over a year. After countless applications, rejections, and silence I have received an offer. Keep hustling and something will come through.

Congratulations duder (or dudette).

[spleenworship]

Hey guys. I haven't posted here much, but I have been reading this thread and following the advice for over a year. After countless applications, rejections, and silence I have received an offer. Keep hustling and something will come through.

Congratulations duder (or dudette).

[AnnTheEgg]

Figure it's about time for me to post in here. I'm feeling totally crushed by the amount of work I need to do this summer applying to PI fellowship sponsors/fellowships, clerkships, gov honors programs, and firms and totally freaked out by the prospect of not having ANYTHING. So, uh, yeah, sup guys.

+1

(Hey crumps, I remember you from the LSAT prep and application threads. Hopefully we make it through this, too)

[Anonymous User]

Hey guys. I haven't posted here much, but I have been reading this thread and following the advice for over a year. After countless applications, rejections, and silence I have received an offer. Keep hustling and something will come through.

Mind sharing what field? ALways curious what's hiring

[Pretzel_Logic]

Good luck to Valers getting ready for the bar. You're going to CRUSH whatever state you're in so go get 'em.

[Anonymous User]

Hey guys. I haven't posted here much, but I have been reading this thread and following the advice for over a year. After countless applications, rejections, and silence I have received an offer. Keep hustling and something will come through.

Mind sharing what field? ALways curious what's hiring

Federal agency. I applied to three positions back in March on USAjobs.gov. This is the only one that interviewed me.

[Anonymous User]

Just had an interview with a fed agency last week. They're hiring 18 people and had interviews all day all week. Crossing my fingers that I'm at least good enough to be in the top 18. I asked them if they had a timeline for a decision, and they said if I didn't hear back in 1.5 years, I likely didn't get it. He was being serious.

[Anonymous User]

What agency if you don't mind me asking?

[Anonymous User]

Just wanted to post something to everyone in this thread. Exactly a year ago today I had just taken the bar and had absolutely nothing lined up employment wise for various reasons. Exactly one year later, I now have an offer at a V15 firm in one of their best practices. Keep hustling, take other jobs that you can use as "stepping stones" and always be looking out for good opportunities or people you can leverage to get you in the door. You never know what will come of random situations that you encounter.

If law firm is the end goal, I have seen first hand that experience, intelligence and confidence trump grades and school by a long shot after a few months outside of law school, and in a less regulated hiring environment.

Keep hustling everyone, keep a positive attitude and go out there and always do good work for whoever you work for.

Edit: I was a below median kid from a T-14 school - shitty first year grades mean nothing except that its time to hustle your ass off and become better at selling yourself.

[Druid]

Just wanted to post something to everyone in this thread. Exactly a year ago today I had just taken the bar and had absolutely nothing lined up employment wise for various reasons. Exactly one year later, I now have an offer at a V15 firm in one of their best practices. Keep hustling, take other jobs that you can use as "stepping stones" and always be looking out for good opportunities or people you can leverage to get you in the door. You never know what will come of random situations that you encounter.

If law firm is the end goal, I have seen first hand that experience, intelligence and confidence trump grades and school by a long shot after a few months outside of law school, and in a less regulated hiring environment.

Keep hustling everyone, keep a positive attitude and go out there and always do good work for whoever you work for.

Edit: I was a below median kid from a T-14 school - shitty first year grades mean nothing except that its time to hustle your ass off and become better at selling yourself.

I'd like to know more about how you did this.

[bjsesq]

Figure it's about time for me to post in here. I'm feeling totally crushed by the amount of work I need to do this summer applying to PI fellowship sponsors/fellowships, clerkships, gov honors programs, and firms and totally freaked out by the prospect of not having ANYTHING. So, uh, yeah, sup guys.

Just saw this. Love you, dooder. Need anything: ask.

[Bikeflip]

Figure it's about time for me to post in here. I'm feeling totally crushed by the amount of work I need to do this summer applying to PI fellowship sponsors/fellowships, clerkships, gov honors programs, and firms and totally freaked out by the prospect of not having ANYTHING. So, uh, yeah, sup guys.

Just saw this. Love you, dooder. Need anything: ask.

+1. The Vale is for helping us all out.

[Anonymous User]

Just wanted to post something to everyone in this thread. Exactly a year ago today I had just taken the bar and had absolutely nothing lined up employment wise for various reasons. Exactly one year later, I now have an offer at a V15 firm in one of their best practices. Keep hustling, take other jobs that you can use as "stepping stones" and always be looking out for good opportunities or people you can leverage to get you in the door. You never know what will come of random situations that you encounter.

If law firm is the end goal, I have seen first hand that experience, intelligence and confidence trump grades and school by a long shot after a few months outside of law school, and in a less regulated hiring environment.

Keep hustling everyone, keep a positive attitude and go out there and always do good work for whoever you work for.

Edit: I was a below median kid from a T-14 school - shitty first year grades mean nothing except that its time to hustle your ass off and become better at selling yourself.

I'd like to know more about how you did this.

Pretty much a ton of hard work and being focused on the type of career I wanted. I knew I wanted something with cap markets, finance, banking, etc and had to figure out a way to get this with an alternate route. I networked within finance, consulting and at law firms once I got my 1L grades back (bottom 10%) and obtained different internships to make it known that I could do anything (regulatory, buy-side finance, modeling, securities law, etc).

You want to be broad in your experiences and show you excel at anything you do, but also want to create a coherant story as to why you are doing what you do. For me, I went (1) Financial Regulator --> (2) Asset manager --> (3) consulting firm --> V15 law firm. Each step, while a little of a stretch, can be shown to be very logical. Additionally, in this time I learned that just because life came easy before, doesn't mean things come easy to you throughout. You need to work for everything and go after what you want.

Also, be friends with classmates. Every opportunity I have gotten since graduating has been through classmates from UG and law school.

[Druid]

Thanks for the thoughtful reply. Good to know planning (and lucky breaks, of course) can help even in the Vale.

[samcro_op]

The SEC just posted a Chairmans Honors program today and it is only open to the first 500 who apply. It is on USA Jobs. It is for 2015 so 3Ls and Clerkships/Graduated people.

[Anonymous User]

Just wanted to post something to everyone in this thread. Exactly a year ago today I had just taken the bar and had absolutely nothing lined up employment wise for various reasons. Exactly one year later, I now have an offer at a V15 firm in one of their best practices. Keep hustling, take other jobs that you can use as "stepping stones" and always be looking out for good opportunities or people you can leverage to get you in the door. You never know what will come of random situations that you encounter.

If law firm is the end goal, I have seen first hand that experience, intelligence and confidence trump grades and school by a long shot after a few months outside of law school, and in a less regulated hiring environment.

Keep hustling everyone, keep a positive attitude and go out there and always do good work for whoever you work for.

Edit: I was a below median kid from a T-14 school - shitty first year grades mean nothing except that its time to hustle your ass off and become better at selling yourself.

I'd like to know more about how you did this.

Pretty much a ton of hard work and being focused on the type of career I wanted. I knew I wanted something with cap markets, finance, banking, etc and had to figure out a way to get this with an alternate route. I networked within finance, consulting and at law firms once I got my 1L grades back (bottom 10%) and obtained different internships to make it known that I could do anything (regulatory, buy-side finance, modeling, securities law, etc).

You want to be broad in your experiences and show you excel at anything you do, but also want to create a coherant story as to why you are doing what you do. For me, I went (1) Financial Regulator --> (2) Asset manager --> (3) consulting firm --> V15 law firm. Each step, while a little of a stretch, can be shown to be very logical. Additionally, in this time I learned that just because life came easy before, doesn't mean things come easy to you throughout. You need to work for everything and go after what you want.

Also, be friends with classmates. Every opportunity I have gotten since graduating has been through classmates from UG and law school.

Different anon here.
Wanted to mention that I will also be heading to biglaw after graduating with no job. The practice area is corporate.


I wish I had solid advice, but I think I was mostly lucky to get the job and I do not think I did anything differently from what we are all doing on this thread. I guess the one thing I can say is that no matter how unlikely a lead is, still go for it. I thought I did not have a chance at the place I am going. And also, confidence >>>> grades and even substantive experience.

[TheFutureLawyer]

BYU Job Bank Login
User Name: jobfind
Password: cougarjobs

Username/password was working for me last month, but isn't now. Anyone else?

[Druid]

Tarantino the PW.

[TheFutureLawyer]

BYU Job Bank Login
User Name: jobfind
Password: cougarjobs

Username/password was working for me last month, but isn't now. Anyone else?

Tarantino the PW.

lol.

Same username, but the pass is jobscougar.

[Anonymous User]

Just wanted to post something to everyone in this thread. Exactly a year ago today I had just taken the bar and had absolutely nothing lined up employment wise for various reasons. Exactly one year later, I now have an offer at a V15 firm in one of their best practices. Keep hustling, take other jobs that you can use as "stepping stones" and always be looking out for good opportunities or people you can leverage to get you in the door. You never know what will come of random situations that you encounter.

If law firm is the end goal, I have seen first hand that experience, intelligence and confidence trump grades and school by a long shot after a few months outside of law school, and in a less regulated hiring environment.

Keep hustling everyone, keep a positive attitude and go out there and always do good work for whoever you work for.

Edit: I was a below median kid from a T-14 school - shitty first year grades mean nothing except that its time to hustle your ass off and become better at selling yourself.

I'd like to know more about how you did this.

Pretty much a ton of hard work and being focused on the type of career I wanted. I knew I wanted something with cap markets, finance, banking, etc and had to figure out a way to get this with an alternate route. I networked within finance, consulting and at law firms once I got my 1L grades back (bottom 10%) and obtained different internships to make it known that I could do anything (regulatory, buy-side finance, modeling, securities law, etc).

You want to be broad in your experiences and show you excel at anything you do, but also want to create a coherant story as to why you are doing what you do. For me, I went (1) Financial Regulator --> (2) Asset manager --> (3) consulting firm --> V15 law firm. Each step, while a little of a stretch, can be shown to be very logical. Additionally, in this time I learned that just because life came easy before, doesn't mean things come easy to you throughout. You need to work for everything and go after what you want.

Also, be friends with classmates. Every opportunity I have gotten since graduating has been through classmates from UG and law school.

Different anon here.
Wanted to mention that I will also be heading to biglaw after graduating with no job. The practice area is corporate.


I wish I had solid advice, but I think I was mostly lucky to get the job and I do not think I did anything differently from what we are all doing on this thread. I guess the one thing I can say is that no matter how unlikely a lead is, still go for it. I thought I did not have a chance at the place I am going. And also, confidence >>>> grades and even substantive experience.

Congrats dooder-- are you class of 2013 or 2014? Also, was this nyc? trying to get a sense of the market.. tia

[Anonymous User]

Been in the Vale for 1 yr so far. Graduated in May 2013. Was temporarily out of the vale when I got hired by small firm in my own state. Took job offer (1st job offer since graduating) of $24k/yr with guaranteed bonus of $26k. Job posting said looking for 0-3 yrs exp associate attorney. Fired 2 wks later for not having enough experience and would take too long to train. Went out of pocket for relocation expense (including signing up for 1 yr lease at apt) b/c firm located 4 hrs away from home state. Now I'm just fed up and through and thinking about leaving job market entirely. Don't know if should continue to stay in legal mkt. Don't have enough $ to keep at it. FYI: Graduated from T-30, median grades, no LR, no moot ct. This was 1st job offer out of 4 interviews I've obtained since graduation. Don't know anyone has any thoughts on this. I'm new to the forum and just needed to vent

[Druid]

That's a really shitty thing for them to do to you.

[Tanicius]

Been in the Vale for 1 yr so far. Graduated in May 2013. Was temporarily out of the vale when I got hired by small firm in my own state. Took job offer (1st job offer since graduating) of $24k/yr with guaranteed bonus of $26k. Job posting said looking for 0-3 yrs exp associate attorney. Fired 2 wks later for not having enough experience and would take too long to train. Went out of pocket for relocation expense (including signing up for 1 yr lease at apt) b/c firm located 4 hrs away from home state. Now I'm just fed up and through and thinking about leaving job market entirely. Don't know if should continue to stay in legal mkt. Don't have enough $ to keep at it. FYI: Graduated from T-30, median grades, no LR, no moot ct. This was 1st job offer out of 4 interviews I've obtained since graduation. Don't know anyone has any thoughts on this. I'm new to the forum and just needed to vent

That's incredibly shitty. If you leave the legal field you should sue for reliance damages.